Interior lights dimmings

In checking out my problem I have concluded that the converter kicks in and charges the battery. After it charges, within two minutes the lights start dimming again with a volt meter the battery when charged is between 12.5 and 13.2. The meter will show a drop down to around 3 to 5 before the converter would kick back in. So took battery out and checked it, practically no liquid in the battery. Went to local boat / camper shop to look at batteries and to ask about charging this one, but since it is older it is better to just buy a new one. So, I just hope a new battery fixes my problem.

motorcycle jack wrote:
Well, first of all let me say that ALL 12v lighting systems dim, some worse than others. Here's how it happens: First you have a 12v battery at full charge - 12.6V. And now the lights go on. The voltage starts dropping as the drain on the battery takes the voltage down. At some voltage your converter kicks in, say at 11.8. When that happens the voltage jumps to 14.4 in order to charge your battery. When the converter sense the battery is at 12.6 v it cuts out and the cycle starts over again. The amount of dimming you see depends on: what battery setup you have(two 12v or two 6), battery type (wet, jell or other), and whether they are deep cycle, marine, golf cart or automotive starting battery and your converter and how it is set up (on at some low voltage, puts out some higher voltage). They all act different when used for an RV living - the battery and converter.

Make sure ALL you battery connections are tight, sealed with dielectric and clean. Then you can try changing batteries or converter to come up with the least amount of dimming - but it will be COSTLY. I would just wait til I needed new batteries or a converter.

You may be right, but my 12 lights do not dim flicker and my set up is an '05. It is plugged in 24/7/365. Still on original battery. I must be doing something right. JMHO.

Thanks everyone I will check everything and see what I can find.

Just something else to check. We had a very similar situation where our lights would do the same thing. It turned out to be the fan that cools the converter. At the time we had a Jayco 5er with an IOTA converter. I gave them a call and the engineer I talked to said he had a few laying around in his office and would send me one free of charge. When you turn lights on do you hear the fan running?

Check the cheapest fixes first. As others have said check the battery. Check the fluid level. If you've left the camper plugged in then the battery has been charging and it could draw down the water level. Clean the battery posts and cables. If you don't have a battery brush use sand paper and polish the posts and terminals to where the are shiny.

All good advise here. Check connections. Have the battery or batteries checked. Then check the converter. I had a camper that did the same as yours and it was the converter that was bad. I got a Progressive Dynamics converter and life was again wonderful!

The converter, if working properly, should keep the system 12v at a maintenance level of 12.6V or so.
When my converter died, on week two of a six week trip, the first thing I noticed was a panel meter showing 12.4 volts. Hooked to shore power, it should not have dropped below the 12.6. Sure enough, later it was 12.2 and kept going down. With the battery disconnected, voltage across the converter terminals was zero: converter dead. We finished the trip charging the battery once a day with a battery charger.
Checking with a voltmeter would give you peace of mind.

Thanks for the detailed explanation M'cyle Jack. That makes perfect sense and explains why my lights dim sometimes.

Well, first of all let me say that ALL 12v lighting systems dim, some worse than others. Here's how it happens: First you have a 12v battery at full charge - 12.6V. And now the lights go on. The voltage starts dropping as the drain on the battery takes the voltage down. At some voltage your converter kicks in, say at 11.8. When that happens the voltage jumps to 14.4 in order to charge your battery. When the converter sense the battery is at 12.6 v it cuts out and the cycle starts over again. The amount of dimming you see depends on: what battery setup you have(two 12v or two 6), battery type (wet, jell or other), and whether they are deep cycle, marine, golf cart or automotive starting battery and your converter and how it is set up (on at some low voltage, puts out some higher voltage). They all act different when used for an RV living - the battery and converter.

Make sure ALL you battery connections are tight, sealed with dielectric and clean. Then you can try changing batteries or converter to come up with the least amount of dimming - but it will be COSTLY. I would just wait til I needed new batteries or a converter.

Had that happen on my trailer a few years back during a camping trip. Next trip when we got there the lights never got bright and found out my converter died. I replaced it with a progressive dynamics with the smart wizard and all was well. It was very easy to replace , 2wires and a plug.